Missouri officials trapping gypsy moths across state

Friday

Jun 27, 2008 at 12:01 AMJun 27, 2008 at 12:36 AM

The Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA), in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Conservation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Army and Missouri National Guard, have begun the annual survey to track the movement of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), a tree-eating pest that has the potential to strip entire forests.

Staff reports

The Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA), in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Conservation, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Army and Missouri National Guard, have begun the annual survey to track the movement of the gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar), a tree-eating pest that has the potential to strip entire forests.

Nearly 12,000 triangular gypsy moth traps have been placed on trees throughout the state and can be spotted from now until the end of August.

“The gypsy moth continues to be of particular concern to agriculture and conservation officials and poses a significant threat to Missouri forests,” said Judy Grundler, director of MDA’s plant industries division. “The annual trapping of this pest helps officials determine whether or not a population is attempting to become established in our state.
With few enemies, an established gypsy moth population is nearly impossible to eradicate making prevention critical.”

Historically, the highest percentage of gypsy moth specimens have been collected in metropolitan and tourist areas due to the higher volume of people and traffic flow.
Intensive trapping is conducted in areas with the highest risk of infestation including forests, tourist areas, state parks and locations where moths have been found before.

Gypsy moths were first introduced into the U.S. in 1869 by an accident that led to the current infestation in North America. Since that time, much of the northeastern U.S. has become infested with this forest pest. Female gypsy moths typically lay eggs near trees, rocks and other permanent structures and also trailers, RVs, automobiles, firewood and other items that have the potential to be moved by people.

“Oak is one of the preferred hosts of the gypsy moth. With 12.5 million acres of oak forest in Missouri, we have a valuable resource at serious risk to this devastating pest,” said Collin Wamsley, state entomologist with MDA. “With cuts in federal funding to the Slow the Spread gypsy moth program, the rate at which the gypsy moth moves towards Missouri is expected to more than double. Missouri needs to be extra vigilant to protect this resource that is so important to our forest products industry, tourism and our natural ecosystem.”

The following tips can help with the prevention of the spread of the gypsy moth:

• Check vehicles, equipment and other belongings for egg masses when returning from out-of-state trips, especially to areas known to have gypsy moth infestations such as Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and the northeastern U.S. The female gypsy moth has a tremendous reproductive capability and will attach egg masses containing 100 to 1,000 eggs to almost anything — including lawn chairs, barbecue grills, house trailers, campers and cars. In fact, most of the moths found in Missouri were probably spread by attaching themselves to traveling vehicles;

• Notify MDA before importing any wood or nursery products, so inspectors can monitor moth movement between states;

• Don’t tamper with traps you might come across when visiting Missouri’s forests, parks or other wooded areas;